A Bay to Breakers official holds medals that will be presented to every participant that finishes this weekend's footrace. Police officials reminded runners to behave themselves, during a news conference in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

A Bay to Breakers official holds medals that will be presented to...

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Officer Mike Horan confronted a teddy bear with a bear and told him to throw it out. The 100th running of the Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, Calif. featured thousands of people and a few new rules to tame past turmoil Sunday May 16, 2011.Officer Mike Horan confronted a teddy bear with a beer and told him to throw it out. Alcohol was banned from the Bay to Breakers this year. The 100th running of the Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco, Calif. featured thousands of people and a few new rules to tame past turmoil Sunday May 16, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Officer Mike Horan confronted a teddy bear with a bear and told him...

A year ago it wasn't clear if Bay to Breakers footrace would make it much past its 100th anniversary year. Persistent partying had tarnished its reputation, and strict new rules designed to control the drunken bacchanalia threatened to take away the event's only-in-San Francisco quality.

But supporters of the booze ban put into place last year say the 2011 race successfully balanced fun with formality, and if this Sunday's race is similar, city and police officials say, there is no reason the race can't continue for the foreseeable future.

"The changes around last year's race went very well," Supervisor Christina Olague said. Her district includes much of the race route, which starts near the Embarcadero waterfront and ends at Ocean Beach. "Bay to Breakers is a San Francisco tradition, so let's keep it running, so to speak."

Most of the 2011 rules will remain this year, including the alcohol prohibition, a ban on floats and the earlier-than-usual start time of 7 a.m.

Sobriety checkpoints

The strict rules were a result of the 2010 race. That year, 26 people were taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and, as in other years, neighbors complained of revelers vomiting and urinating on their stoops and front yards.

This year, 360 police officers will line the 7.46-mile racecourse to enforce open-container laws and screen the less-serious competitors at a handful of sobriety checkpoints.

But, like last year, police say they will have a soft touch. After all, runners can still jog in their birthday suits.

"We will enforce fun and enforce the stuff that detracts from the fun," said Deputy Police Chief Denise Schmitt, who is coordinating the police response.

In 2011, thousands opposed the rules, saying organizers would kill the free spirit of the race. This year, the vocal opposition has faded.

A Facebook page that was a hub for dissent last year was updated only once since May 2011. The website of another group, the Coalition to Save Bay to Breakers, has been taken down.

"I think the controversy is dead," said Stephanie Reichin, a spokeswoman for AEG, the entertainment conglomerate that organizes the race. "Last year a line was drawn in the sand, and people have just moved forward."

Roughly 40,000 people are expected to register for this year's race. Another 80,000 to 100,000 are expected to watch from the sidelines or amble along the course after the competitive runners, Reichin said.

The weather on race day should be clear and cool in the morning and warm by the early afternoon, said Mike Pechner, a forecaster with Golden West Meteorology.

Caltrain and BART will run special trains for ferry racers and revelers to and from the race.

Breaking the rules

Several people who planned to attend the race said they understood why the rules were put into place but had no intention of following them.

Randy Entas, 23, said the rules "didn't stop people from drinking last year," the first year he ran the race, and he doesn't think they will again.

"Even last year with the changes, it was a lot of fun," he said. "Just as any event here in San Francisco, (the rules) don't really stop people from having fun."